


Date Night

by spacemanearthgirl



Category: Ghostbusters (2016)
Genre: F/F, First Date, First Kiss, Fluff, Friendship, Holtzbert - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-14
Updated: 2016-09-14
Packaged: 2018-08-08 17:28:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7766818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacemanearthgirl/pseuds/spacemanearthgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Erin returns from a bad date so the Ghostbusters (well mostly Holtzmann) cheer her up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I absolutely loved this movie. This is my first attempt at Ghostbusters fanfic.

“Bad night?” Patty asked when she walked downstairs at the firehouse to find Erin face down on the couch in their makeshift living area way earlier than she’d expected her to be back.

“I should’ve just stayed in with you guys,” Erin grumbled, rolling over to look up at Patty as the other Ghostbusters appeared behind her.

“You look rough,” Holtzmann said, handing the beer she’d just opened before disappearing to get herself another one.

“Not good?” Abby asked, as Erin sat up and Abby took the seat beside her, leaving Patty to share the second couch with Holtzmann when she returned with a new beer.

“Definitely not my worst date ever but it wasn’t that great either. I mean, it’s barely 8pm on a Friday night and it’s already over.” When Erin had been asked out on a date by the cute guy at the coffee shop, she’d accepted. He’d seemed nice enough and she didn’t exactly have a line of people ready to date her so she’d said yes. Now though, she wished she’d declined his offer and stayed with her friends to have a few quiet drinks instead.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Abby asked, concerned for her friend, knowing she didn’t date much because she was too busy with work.

“No, I want to forget about how bad my night started off and do what I should’ve done in the first place which is have a fun night drinking with my best friends.”

They all grinned as Holtzmann held out her beer, “cheers.” They all echoed her words as they knocked their bottles together as they settled in for a fun night, just the four of them.

xxx

They did exactly what Erin had said so by the end of the night they were all slightly drunk but in a good mood from all relaxing and joking around together.

Abby and Patty excused themselves, tired after a long day of work so they both headed up stairs to bed. None of them officially lived at the firehouse but they all had beds set up there for when they had to work late or nights like this when it was easier sleeping here than going home drunk.

“So, you gonna tell me what happened on your date then?” Holtzmann had been curious all night and now that she was alone with Erin, she couldn’t help but ask as she relocated to the seat that Abby vacated beside Erin.

Erin blushed and buried her face in her hands but the alcohol in her system loosened her tongue and she was talking before she could help herself, “it wasn’t so bad really, well it was. He was super boring but I could tell he didn’t really want to be there either. He talked about nothing but himself and when he wasn’t talking he spent the time checking his phone. We had nothing in common and it was just so awkward, even worse than normal first dates.”

Erin looked up as she finished talking and saw Holtzmann smiling at her and it wasn’t her usual grin either but something softer that Erin had been seeing more and more of recently, “so, in conclusion it was a really bad date, he even kissed me at the end and it was incredibly uncomfortable, he said he’d call me but I doubt he will.”

Holtzmann shrugged before she winked at Erin, “his loss.”

Erin felt another blush stain her cheeks, something Holtzmann was very good at despite how hard Erin tried not to let the other woman know the effect she had on her.

“You said this wasn’t your worst date, you willing to share what that might have been?” Holtzmann asked, handing Erin a bottle of water instead of another beer which she knew they’d both be thankful for in the morning.

“I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours,” Holtzmann added when she saw Erin was having an internal debate and hoped that’d be enough to get Erin talking.

“It was in college,” Erin admitted, “this guy I’d been crushing on for months asked me out. He wanted to go bowling so I said yes. He must have wanted to show off his bowling skills because he got really mad when I won. He insisted I was just lucky and that he wanted a second game. I won again and he got even worse. He spent the entirety of dinner making not very nice comments but I was too scared to just leave. The next day he called me to ask if I wanted to go out again, even after how he’d acted and I said no but had to spend the next two years while he was still at college avoiding him.”

“You’re good at bowling?” Holtzmann asked and Erin laughed, that’s what she’d taken from her story?

“I am,” she smiled, “and now I told you mine, what’s yours?”

“College too. I’d already been on a few dates with this girl I liked and she asked me to go to a party with her so I agreed.  It was going well right up until I saw her kissing some other girl.”

“Ouch,” Erin winced, “that’s harsh.”

“Even worse was afterwards she found me and pretended like nothing had happened. She tried to kiss but I turned her down and left. And that hurt, you know? That I’d gone to this party as her date but she obviously didn’t have any feelings for me if she was kissing someone else at the same party we were at.” That was more than Holtzmann usually shared but Erin had been honest with her so she had to be honest in return.

“Her loss,” Erin smiled, repeating Holtz’s sentiment from before, knowing what it was like to feel unwanted and how upsetting that can be.

“To us,” Holtzmann said, holding up her bottle of water for Erin to tap hers to, “let’s hope all our bad dates are in the past.”

Erin grinned in response.

Since they all saved New York, Erin and Holtzmann had been spending a lot more time alone together. Sometimes it was simply just things like Erin happened to be reading in the same room while Holtzmann was working on her latest invention while other times Erin would accompany Holtzmann on outings to retrieve new materials for her inventions. Then there were also nights like this, when the others had already left or were in bed and Holtzmann and Erin would spend the time together, either working side by side or relaxing together like they were now.

It was unexpected, for the both of them, how close they’d become over such a short period of time, especially when Abby had originally been both their only close friend. But it was also nice and wholly welcome, the comfort and friendship they gave to each other and now they both felt like they had somewhere they belonged which is something neither of them had felt in a long time, if ever. Now the five of them were one big happy family, Kevin included.

They spent the next two hours talking and joking around together (while Holtzman flirted, to see what kind of reactions she could get out of Erin) and before they knew it it was after 2am and they should both probably be going to bed if they want to get any work done tomorrow.

“Bed time?” Holtzmann asked after she saw Erin glance at the wall clock and realised how late it was, they’d had a long week and Erin must be tired.

Erin nodded and then Holtzmann was on her feet, the empty bottles of water they’d drank earlier discarded on the floor. She held out her hand in offering to pull Erin up too and Erin smiled as she reached out and took her hand.

Holtz pulled her up, Erin ending up standing in Holtzmann’s personal space once she was on her feet. Holtzmann winked and Erin shook her head, releasing her hand and turning away so Holtzmann couldn’t see her blush. Erin walked over to turn off the lights downstairs before she followed Holtzmann up the stairs in their rooms.

“I had a nice time tonight,” Holtzmann said when they reached Erin’s room, Holtzmann’s being the next room over.

Erin looked confused before Holtzmann grinned and winked at her again and Erin realised exactly what she was doing, “so did I.”

Holtzmann laughed, “was this a better date than with Mr. Boring-and-Awkward earlier this evening?”

“How was this a date?” Erin asked, heart beating faster at the idea of an actual date with Holtzmann.

“Well, there was alcohol, we hung out alone, we got to know each other better and then I walked you home.” Holtzmann was now leaning casually against the wall outside Erin’s room, Erin in the doorway, while they both spoke in whispers as to not wake the other two.

Erin rolled her eyes, “there was alcohol only when Abby and Patty were there and you walked me up a flight of stairs, it’s literally on the way to your room.”

Holtzmann shrugged, “I still walked you home.” She paused while Erin looked at her, trying to assess the situation. Was Holtzmann being serious, had the flirting somehow become real or was she just saying these things to get a reaction out of her? Erin didn’t know and she wasn’t going to risk their friendship by misreading the situation.

“But dates usually end in a kiss so I guess this wasn’t one.” Holtzmann wasn’t entirely sure what she was doing, she can’t blame the alcohol, they had stopped drinking hours ago, but something about Erin tonight made her braver. She may have usually been quite forward but never like this, everything else she’d done towards Erin could be classified as her just joking around with Erin but this was something else.

Erin’s eyes widened and she blushed, how did Holtzmann always manage to make her do that?

Holtzmann laughed, “relax, I’m joking.”

Erin felt her heart drop, suddenly disappointed, but she tried not to let it show so she smiled instead, “goodnight, Holtz.”

“Goodnight, Erin,” Holtzmann said before she leaned in and Erin heart rate skyrocketed again as she felt Holtzmann press her lips to her cheek.

“Have a good sleep,” Holtzmann said, smiling one last time and then she’d disappeared into her own room, leaving Erin standing there, cheek tingling from the contact and a grin on her face.


	2. Chapter 2

Erin didn't get much sleep that night, she was too busy replaying her conversation with Holtzmann over in her mind. And then there was that kiss. Holtz had simply pressed her lips to her cheek but Erin couldn't help replaying that either, how soft her lips felt. Had she imagined that Holtzmann had lingered longer than necessary afterwards before she'd said goodnight? Erin wasn't sure how she'd handle seeing her today, not with the thoughts that were currently swirling through her mind.

Erin had spent most of the night awake, imagining how things could’ve gone differently. Her first thoughts were of Holtzmann pressing her lips to Erin’s own, instead of her cheek. How she would’ve reacted, hands going to Holtzmann’s cheeks then into her hair as they kissed to keep her there, never wanting to let her go.

Then she started imagining what could’ve happened if she’d been the one to kiss her instead. What if she’d grabbed Holtzmann’s arm as she turned to leave, the confusion she’d see on Holtzmann’s face before she took a step towards her and then she’d lean in, realization dawning in Holtzmann’s eyes as she closed the final distance between them. And then their lips would move together, exploring, hands moving to pull her closer as Holtzmann’s wound around her waist to hold her close.

And then the possibilities that could’ve come from that. Would they part, bid each other goodnight like they had but now Erin would be wide awake remembering what it was like to kiss Holtzmann instead of just imagining it.

Or would Erin have pulled her into her room, or Holtzmann pulled Erin into her own and they would’ve spent the night awake together, but for entirely different reasons?

These thoughts were getting Erin nowhere, tumbling through her mind, keeping her awake and making her wish she knew what was going through Holltzmann’s head. She had definitely been flirting with Erin, not just last night, but since they met, and then Holtzmann had kissed her last night and it didn’t feel like a kiss between two people who were just friends.

Those very thoughts led Erin to her problem, what did she do now? She knew what she wanted to do, she wanted to walk over to Holtzmann’s room right now and kiss her like there was no tomorrow, she’d been thinking of doing nothing else but kiss her since she’d last seen her. _But what if she doesn’t want that? What if she doesn’t want you?_ Were the thoughts that were stopping her. It didn’t make sense for someone like Holtzmann to like her and yet the evidence seemed to be there but until she knew for sure, until she saw Holtzmann again, she wasn’t going to do anything, except fantasize about kissing her of course.

Erin glanced at the clock beside her bed, it was almost 7am, an acceptable time to get up even if it was the weekend. She got up, got dressed then decided to go downstairs to get some work done, or at least try to, she didn’t know if it’d be possible with the majority of her thoughts currently being taken up by a certain engineer.

She tried to work anyway, and was relieved when less than half an hour later she heard movement upstairs and hoped someone would be down soon to distract her.

Not five minutes later someone else did appear, and she was right about the distracting her part as she looked up and saw Holtzmann walking down the stairs, clothes rumpled and hair messy with sleep. Erin tried not to stare but knew she been caught when she say the grin on Holtzmann’s face.

“Morning,” Holtzmann said cheerily and Erin wondered how someone could be so awake and happy at this time of the morning.

“Good morning.” Erin replied, trying to sound normal and like she wasn’t currently imagining what her lips would feel like if Erin were to kiss her right now. And of course Erin was blushing now, why did this always happen to her?

Holtzmann smirked, “I’m going to make some breakfast, you hungry?”

Erin couldn’t get a simple “yes” to come out of her mouth so she nodded and then Holtz vanished into the small kitchen they had in the firehouse to make whatever she’d been planning to.

Erin had gone back to her work while Holtzmann was in the kitchen but looked up when she heard more movement from the stairs. Abby appeared next, looking surprised when she saw Erin already downstairs, “you’re up early.”

“I wanted to get some work done,” Erin lied, not about to voice the real reason she was up so early, especially with Holtzmann in such close proximity.

Abby shrugged then looked towards the kitchen, “what’s cooking?”

“No idea,” Erin replied, glad that Abby was here to distract her and she didn’t have to pretend to do work anymore, “Holtz is cooking.”

“Smells good,” Abby commented as she made her way to the kitchen just as Patty appeared downstairs too.

Abby made her way towards the kitchen and Erin got up to follow, ready to face Holtzmann when she wouldn’t be alone with her.

“Good timing, breakfast is ready,” Holtzmann said as she looked up and saw the three women walk into the room as she placed a large plate of pancakes on the small dining table that sat in the corner of the kitchen.

“What’s the occasion?” Patty asked as they all piled their plates with pancakes and syrup after they’d taken a seat at the table.

Holtzmann shrugged, “no occasion, I was just hungry and wanted pancakes.”

Abby laughed, “well, thanks.” They all knew Holtzmann could cook, she just rarely did, usually too busy with work as they all were which is why they all ate takeout so often.

They ate in silence, apart from the occasional moan or hum in reaction to how good the pancakes were. Erin was having a really hard time trying not to imagine what it would be like to kiss Holtzmann now, how sweet it would be after all the syrup she’d used.

They all helped clean up afterwards, the mess that had been made quickly vanished with the four of them working.

It was a Saturday and none of them had much to do after that so they each went off to work on their own, Patty leaving so she could go home and shower in case they got a call today since ghosts didn’t particularly care what day of the week it was. Abby had some calculations she wanted to look over upstairs and before Erin knew it or could stop Abby or Patty, she was alone with Holtzmann again. Well, they were on opposite sides of the room but still alone.

Erin sat back at the desk she was at earlier, pretending to work as she shot frequent glances in Holtzmann’s direction who was working at one of the other lab tables on one of her inventions. Erin really hoped she didn’t notice. Erin didn’t know what to do. Holtz didn’t seem nearly as affected by what had happened last night as she was.

“You going to actually get some work done today or just keep staring at me?” Holtzmann’s voice carried from the other side of the room and Erin looked up, surprised that she’d spoken.

Erin blushed, “I’m-“ she cleared her throat, “I’m working.”

Holtzmann just smirked in return, that infuriatingly sexy smirk and Erin huffed out a breath in response.

Holtzmann went back to tinkering with what was in front of her so Erin was surprised when she heard her speak again, “do you want to talk about it?”

“About what?” Erin asked, trying not to visibly show how much she was freaking out on the inside. She hoped Abby couldn’t hear them from upstairs, their conversation wasn’t exactly a quiet one since they were still on opposite sides of the room.

Holtzmann didn’t look up from what she was doing, “about what’s obviously on your mind.”

“Nothing’s on my mind,” Erin said, way too quickly for Holtzmann to believe it was true.

Erin debated for a minute about what she could do, ignore Holtzmann and get back to pretending to work or confront the situation head on because she’s sure she’s not going to be able to work properly again, not until they’ve sorted this out at least, not while she was in the same room as Holtzmann. It’s like that kiss last night opened the flood gates, letting all the thoughts of Holtzmann that she’d pushed to the back of her mind out. She’d been in control of her thoughts before last night but she wasn’t any more.

Coming to a decision, that they needed to talk, Erin left her work on the desk and made her way over to Holtzmann, heart pounding at the thought of what she was about to do.

“Look, about last night,” Erin began, pausing when she realised she didn’t know what exactly she wanted to say.

“What about last night?” Holtzmann asked, voice soft, finally putting her tools down and turning her full attention to the woman in front of her.

“You kissed me,” Erin blurted, eyes widening when she realised that her brain to mouth filter hadn’t worked. And now she was thinking about mouths and trying very hard not to look at the woman’s mouth in front of her and how kissable it probably looked.

“I did,” Holtzmann agreed, trying to stay calm. She hadn’t meant to kiss Erin last night, but she just hadn’t been able to help herself, the other woman affected her like no one else had before.

“Why?”

Holtzmann’s brow furrowed, a look of confusion appearing on her face, wasn’t it obvious? “Because I wanted to.”

“You did?” It was Erin’s turn to look confused.

Holtzmann surprised Erin then when she burst out laughing, “I haven’t exactly been subtle in regards to my attraction to you.”

“I know,” Erin paused, wanting to get her words right, “but that felt like more?” It ended up sounding like a question.

“You mean more than just attraction?” Holtzmann took a step forward as she spoke, bringing her into Erin’s personal space.

Erin couldn’t find her words so she nodded instead.

Holtzmann smiled, “is that your way of asking if I have feelings for you?”

Erin could feel her hands shaking so she clasped them together in front of her, hoping Holtzmann couldn’t tell how nervous she really was as she nodded again.

“Would it be ok if I did?” Holtzmann could feel her heart pounding now but she wanted this, wanted this so much and she had to let Erin know how she felt about her and hoped that Erin felt the same in return, that it was more than just physical attraction to her too.

Relief flooded through Erin then because if Holtzmann’s words weren’t enough to convince her that she had feelings for her, the look that Holtzmann was giving her now was. Behind the fear and the hope she could see it, how much the other woman cared for her and Erin wondered how she’d missed it before.

Erin was the one to step forward now, closing what little space remained between them as she reached up with shaking hands to cup Holtzmann’s cheeks.

Then Erin did the thing she’d been thinking about all morning and kissed Holtzmann. And wow, it was ever better than she’d imagined. Holtzmann responded eagerly, arms wrapping around her back to hold her close as Erin deepened the kiss, mouths moving together as Erin’s hands moved to Holtzmann’s hair, ruining what little style it had left after being messed up by sleep.

Holtzmann was the one that pulled away first, but not far, she pressed her forehead to Erin’s, their breaths mingling as she spoke, “does this mean you have feelings for me in return?”

“What do you think?” Erin grinned, pressing her lips back to Holtzmann’s, reveling in the softness of them, in the softness of the woman in her arms who she could feel pressed against her entire body.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Holtzmann said, the words mumbled against Erin’s lips as she continued to kiss her, both becoming braver as hands started to roam too.

A noise upstairs caused them to break apart suddenly in surprise and they both simultaneously remembered that they weren’t alone.

“Abby,” Erin groaned, forehead pressed to Holtzmann’s again.

“Tonight.” Holtzmann said and Erin pulled back so she could look her in the eyes, wanting to make sure she’d heard her right.

“Tonight?”

“Will you go on a date with me,” Holtzmann clarified, uncharacteristically nervous even though there was no way that Erin would turn down a date with her.

Erin grinned, “you’re asking me out?”

“I am,” Holtzmann smiled and there was that look again, the one that showed Erin how much the other woman cared for her, the same look she was sure she was giving Holtzmann in return.

Erin pressed her lips back to Holtzmann’s quickly in response, pulling away much sooner than she’d like but now conscious that they weren’t alone, “then yes, I’ll go on a date with you.”

Holtzmann’s eyes flashed to the staircase, hoping Abby didn’t choose this moment to return. “And then maybe afterwards we could go back to my place…” Holtzmann said, trailing off as her eyes roamed down Erin’s body and she reached forward to twine her fingers together with Erin’s.

Erin grinned, “it’s a date.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really enjoyed writing this and I'm considering continuing it if anyone is interested.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You asked for more so here's more.

Not long after their talk, Holtzmann vanished upstairs to take a shower, leaving Erin downstairs with her thoughts once more. But this time, instead of thoughts of their first kiss, her thoughts were a lot less work appropriate and that was highly distracting. Erin was thankful when she heard movement on the stairs and felt bad that she was slightly disappointed to see Abby and not Holtzmann.

Abby appeared and found Erin working at her desk just as she’d been expecting her to be, “hey, could you look over these for me to make sure my math checks out?”

Erin tried to remain calm, feeling as if Abby would instantly be able to spot something had happened, “sure.”

“Are you ok?” Abby asked, noting that Erin was acting weird, “your face is all red, you’re not getting sick, are you?”

Abby’s hand moved to touch Erin’s forehead but Erin swatted it away before it could reach her, “I'm fine, just tired, I was just up late last night with Holtzmann.”

“Oh?” Abby’s questioning tone made Erin realise she’d given something away. Not that anything actually happened last night and if the events of this morning hadn’t occurred, last night would have simply been two friends hanging out together. But now things were different and dammit she'd given Abby something to question her about. Not only that, the mention of Holtzmann made Erin’s mind drift to Holtzmann who was currently in the shower, naked. That was not something she should be thinking about when she was trying to talk to Abby.

Erin shrugged, trying to be nonchalant about it, “Holtz and I were just up late talking.”

“Is that all you did?” Abby asked and her tone of voice told Erin exactly what Abby thought may have happened last night when she was alone with Holtzmann.

“What do you mean?” Erin asked, she was going to play innocent until proven guilty. She felt a bit bad for lying to her friend like this but things were new between her and Holtzmann and they hadn’t yet talked about whether they’d tell their friends or not.

“You know exactly what I mean.” The tone of voice was now accompanied by a knowing look.

Erin sighed, knowing her friend wasn’t going to give up on this.

“You like her, she likes you, what’s stopping you?”

Erin spluttered, eyes wide as she tried to figure out how to respond to that, were they really both so obvious? Luckily she didn’t have to say anything as Holtzmann chose the perfect moment to return from her shower, dressed in clean clothes and her hair back in its usual style. Erin really wanted to run her fingers though it and mess it up again.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Holtzmann asked as she descended the stairs and joined Abby and Erin in Erin’s workspace.

“I was just looking over some equations for Abby,” Erin replied and Abby was surprised and rather impressed at how relaxed and unflustered Erin was in Holtzmann’s presence after the conversation they’d just been having.

Holtzmann grinned at them, “cool,” and then she returned to her own work area to continue working on whatever new invention she was trying to make today.

Abby dropped the subject now that Holtzmann was in the room and Erin helped her with the equations she wanted looked over. Abby returned upstairs once they were finished and Erin made her way over to where Holtzmann was working again.

“Hey,” Holtzmann smiled, glancing upstairs, not moving to close the respectable distance that was between them as much as she wanted to because she knew that Abby could return at any moment.

“I assume you want to know what Abby and I were really talking about before?”

“I very much do.”

“She was telling me that she could tell I had feelings for you and that you had feelings for me and was asking what was stopping me from making a move on you.”

“She’s observant,” Holtzmann smiled, “what did you tell her?” She knew she was very unsubtle in her interest in Erin but it was nice to know that Abby had noticed Erin’s feeling’s in return.

“Luckily you arrived before I had to say anything. Do you think we should tell them, about us I mean?”

“Do you want to tell them?” Holtzmann really had no idea of Erin’s feelings on the matter.

“This isn’t just about what I want, but what you want to.”

Hoping that Abby didn’t choose this moment to appear, Holtzmann quickly stepped forward into Erin’s personal space and kissed her, she wanted to show her how grateful she was that Erin was considering how she felt too. She’s not surprised that Erin would do this of course, she’s just not used to it, it’s something that’s only happened since she became friends with Abby and then a Ghostbuster.

Holtzmann moved back to a respectable distance again, the two women smiling at each other before Holtzmann spoke, “I’d like to keep this between us, just for now, if that’s ok with you?”

Erin smiled and nodded, both women happy with this decision. It wasn’t that they wanted to hide what they had, they just wanted to keep it between themselves for now while it was still new, they didn’t need the added pressure of their friends knowing on their new relationship.

“We need some rules then, if we’re going to keep it a secret from Abby and Patty while we’re at work,” Erin said, thinking of all the things that could go wrong when keeping a relationship a secret, her knowledge coming from all the movies she’d seen with this exact scenario in it.

Holtzmann scoffed, of course Erin would want rules, “rules are lame.”

Erin gave her a look and it wasn’t long before Holtzmann acquiesced, “fine.”

“No touching at work.”

Holtzmann smirked, “well, we’ve already broken that one, multiple times and not five minutes ago.”

“No more touching at work,” Erin amended and laughed when she saw how Holtzmann screwed up her face.

“That doesn’t sound like fun.”

“No flirting at work,” Erin continued, wanting to get this sorted before either of their friends returned.

“That’s a bit harsh, and Abby and Patty would be suspicious if I suddenly stopped flirting with you,” Holtzmann said and she knew she was right, there hadn’t been a day go by without at least one flirtatious comment from her directed at Erin.

“That’s true, flirting is allowed then, but nothing outrageous.” Erin was kind of glad about this, as much as Holtz’s flirting flustered her, it also made her feel wanted and now Erin knew just how much.

“Fine, I’ll save that for when we’re alone,” Holtzmann replied with a wink and Erin felt herself blush yet again.

“I have a rule,” Holtzmann said, thinking of something she’d seen herself in movies that usually didn’t end well when keeping a relationship a secret, “no pretending to be dating other people to throw the others off the scent. I’m not even going to fake share you with someone else.”

“Good,” Erin grinned, she felt exactly the same way plus it was a nice and new feeling to feel this wanted by someone else. Erin had a thought then, one that made her cringe, “oh, Kevin? I’m sorry if I ever made you jealous with how I acted around him.”

Holtzmann can’t deny she’d been jealous of the attention that Erin had given him when he’d first joined the team but it had also been entertaining watching how flustered she became around him. She really was cute when she got flustered which Holtzmann then took great pleasure in trying to get a reaction out of Erin with her flirting just so she could get the same response.

“Nothing ever happened between the two of you, did it?”

“God no,” Erin replied quickly, scoffing at the idea, “I can’t deny he’s attractive but…”

Erin trailed off as she stepped forward, ignoring the fact that Abby was upstairs for the moment because she wanted Holtzmann to know this, “he’s got nothing on you.”

As she said this, Erin’s hands moved up to cup Holtzmann’s cheeks and she pressed their foreheads together. Holtzmann couldn’t help but smile as Erin continued, the words whispered between them, “you’re funny and kind, you’re loyal and I’ve never met anyone with a brain like yours, someone who’s so talented at creating something from nothing, who sees the potential in everything around them. And there’s no doubt you’re attractive, you’re beautiful, it was one of the first things I noticed about you when we first met, before you insulted me that is.”

Holtzmann couldn’t help but laugh as Erin finished speaking, her words filling her with joy, no one had ever said anything like that to her before.

“Thank you,” Holtzmann said, her heart beating rapidly in her chest as she closed the small space between them and pressed her lips to Erin’s, hoping to convey everything she felt in that moment through the kiss.

Both women were grinning when Holtzmann pulled away but unfortunately the moment was broken when they heard the firehouse door open and they quickly stepped away from each other just in time to see Patty enter. They busied themselves with work, hoping Patty wouldn’t know she’d interrupted anything.

The rest of the day went by uneventfully, except for the glances that Erin and Holtzmann kept shooting at each other which Abby and Patty were luckily obvious too. Erin was relieved when Abby announced she was going to make the most of a ghost free day and go home early to get some proper rest after their late night last night. Unfortunately though, she asked Erin if she wanted to travel home with her since they lived close to each other and without a viable excuse, Erin was forced to leave without getting a chance to be alone with Holtzmann again.

Her disappointment was short-lived however when her phone sounded with a text as they were on their way home and she saw it was from Holtzmann.

**Meet you back here at 7?**

Erin smiled, hoping Abby didn’t notice. **See you then x**

Her heart rate picked up at the thought of all the things the night alone tonight with Holtzmann could bring, she couldn’t wait.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got incredibly distracted by this ship and ended up writing several other fics instead of finishing this one but here it is, the final chapter. Thanks to all those who read this and thanks to those who also left lovely comments. I hope you enjoy the ending.

Erin was nervous, she could admit that. Well, actually, she was terrified, but not for normal first date reasons. Normally, she’d be nervous because she’d want to make a good first impression, want to make the other person like her but that wasn’t the case this time. Holtzmann already liked her, she knew that, their date was more about getting to know each other better, spending time together and having fun. Erin tried not to think of the particular kind of fun that they could be having later, she didn’t need that distraction right now.

With shaking hands, Erin entered the firehouse, not entirely sure what to expect tonight, Holtzmann wasn’t exactly the most predictable person. For her part, Erin had agonized over what to wear, wondering what they were actually going to be doing tonight, that hadn’t actually discussed it but Erin assumed dinner. But, again, it could be anything with Holtzmann.

In the end, Erin had decided to go with a simple black dress, nothing too fancy but nice enough that you could tell she’d put effort into her appearance. She’d also put on a bit of makeup and left her hair down, letting it fall naturally around her face. It didn’t matter to her what Holtzmann wore either, she knew they had different senses of style but she was still interested to see that the women had chosen to wear tonight.

Erin closed the door behind her and when she turned around, her breath caught at the sight in front of her.  Holtzmann looked good, she looked damn good. And it wasn’t just what she was wearing, but a combination of everything Holtzmann. She was wearing a dark-coloured waistcoat with dark pants to match, a light shirt underneath, a combination of clothes that Erin had seen before. Her hair was done up the same as when Erin had left earlier so that was nothing new either even though of course she still looked good.

The thing that stood out the most though was the grin that appeared on Holtzmann’s face when she saw Erin walk into the building. The grin lit up her whole face, her eyes roaming over Erin as they made their way towards each other. She looked absolutely beautiful and not for the first time, Erin wondered how someone so beautiful could be interested in her.

“Hey there,” Holtzmann said, leaning into Erin’s personal space to place a kiss on her cheek, “you look hot.”

Erin blushed as Holtzmann stepped back to give her body another appreciative sweep, “yeah, you definitely look hot.”

“Well, you look umm…” Erin stuttered, her confidence from earlier from when she was describing Holtzmann gone, “good, great, wow umm…nice, no, not nice, no wait, that came out wrong-“

“Calm down,” Holtzmann laughed, cutting her off, her hands moving to Erin’s shoulders.

Erin took a deep breath, calmed by Holtzmann’s touch and she looked her right in the eye as she spoke, “you look beautiful.”

Erin was surprised when she saw a blush spread across Holtzmann’s cheeks so she leant forward and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips.

When Erin had stepped back, Holtzmann smiled and spoke, “I was thinking we could try that Italian place down the street that you mentioned wanting to try a few weeks ago?”

Erin was surprised that Holtzmann even remembered that comment she’d made, didn’t know that she’d even been listening to the conversation she’d been having with Abby, “sounds perfect.”

xxx

“Relax, ok?” Holtzmann said, realising how nervous Erin was now that they were seated in the restaurant. “We're just two people, getting to know each other better. We hung out and just talked last night, and that was fine. We're still those same people, we just get to make out a bit more now.”

Erin choked on a laugh as Holtzmann continued, “although, I must admit, I did spend most of last night wanting to kiss you too.”

Erin blushed but they were interrupted by the server then so they ordered their food and some wine and after he’d left, Erin looked nervously over at Holtzmann, not knowing entirely what to say.

“So, what was the name of the street you lived on as a child?”

Erin couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled out of her at Holtzmann’s random question, “what?”

Holtzmann shrugged, “we’re meant to be getting to know each other, right?”

“You specifically want to know that?”

“I want to know everything,” spilled from Holtzmann’s mouth before she could stop herself, hoping she hadn’t revealed too much and scared Erin. It probably wasn’t a good idea to reveal partway through the first date that you were in love with them.

“That’s good to know,” Erin smiled and she knew she was blushing again but she realised she didn’t care, this was Holtzmann she was with and she knew she could just be herself with her. And then she realised Holtzmann’s reason behind her seemingly random question, to help get her to relax and she was once again so thankful that this wonderful woman sitting in front of her was actually interested in her in return.

Conversation flowed smoothly after that, Erin feeling much more relaxed as they told jokes, swapped stories and Holtzmann flirted shamelessly with her.

After their main course, Holtzmann suggested they share a dessert and Erin readily agreed. Erin should’ve known that Holtzmann would choose the biggest and sweetest dessert the menu.

The end of their meal came far too quickly as they found themselves standing outside the restaurant. The fun and relaxing atmosphere of their date, plus Holtzmann’s constant flirting, made Erin brave as she reached out and took Holtzmann’s hand in hers.

“What now?” Erin asked as they’re standing on the sidewalk together and Erin’s not sure whether they’re going to part ways here or not. Holtzmann’s words earlier suggesting that they go back to her place after their date are running through Erin’s mind.

“Another drink at the firehouse?”

Erin gave her a look, again being braver than she’d usually be, “is that your way of getting me alone?”

It’s almost meant to be a joke but when Erin saw the blush spread across Holtzmann’s cheeks, Erin knew it was the truth.

At the realisation of what that meant, Erin blushed too.

“We don’t have to, do what you’re thinking I mean. We can just have a drink, hang out some more, we don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable with.”

“I want to,” Erin replied immediately.

“Yeah?”

Erin nodded.

Holtzmann searched Erin’s face for any hint of hesitation but what she saw instead was a look she’d never seen on Erin’s face before, one that told Holtzmann just how much she did want to go back to the firehouse to be alone with her.

Holtzmann pulled on their joined hands, not wanting to waste anymore time in public, “let’s go.”

The door was barely closed when Holtzmann had Erin pressed up against it, Erin moaning into her mouth. This right here was what they’ve both been waiting for for longer than they’d realised. And it was filled with a lot more heat than their earlier kisses.

Getting up the stairs was an interesting experience considering they both refused to let go of each other and Erin was glad they didn't have to pass Holtzmann’s work space or that could've been dangerous.

They reached Erin’s door and Holtzmann pulled away. Erin tried to chase her lips but Holtzmann held her back.

“I had a nice time tonight,” Holtzmann smiled, winking at her.

Erin couldn’t help but laugh at Holtzmann’s words, an echo of last night, even though so much has changed since then, “so did I.”

“Yeah?” Holtzmann asked and Erin can hear a hint of shyness in Holtzmann’s words, something that surprises her. It also filled her with courage, seeing someone like Holtzmann, who has so much confidence in everything that she does, be nervous around her.

“Best date I’ve ever had,” Erin replied, a grin spreading across Holtzmann’s face at her words.

“Ditto.”

“And if I remember correctly, you said that a good date ends with a kiss?” Erin stepped into Holtzmann’s personal space again, leaving their mouths just inches apart.

“Isn’t that what we just did?” Holtzmann couldn’t keep her eyes from Erin’s lips now.

“Maybe you should try it again, just to make sure it really is a good date.”

Holtzmann didn’t need further encouragement as she leant forward and captured Erin’s lips with her own again. Erin reached behind her, hand fumbling until she found the door handle and opened the door. And if the conversation earlier wasn’t permission enough, Holtzmann took this as such as she moved forward into Erin’s bedroom with her, kicking the door shut behind them.

And in the morning, when Erin woke up to feeling a warm mouth pressing kisses to her bare shoulder, she knew there was not place she’d rather be than wrapped up in bed with her favourite engineer.


End file.
